03 November 2016

ELCKA Rubbernecking 1997

AllMusic Review
by Ned Raggett

By the time Elcka
got around to releasing a debut album in 1997, the Britpop hype in the
group's initial year of attention, 1995, had started to curdle (the
requisite string arrangements alone date the record). As a result, Rubbernecking
came and went, not even getting an American release despite a
high-profile opening stint with Morrissey in the States. A pity, because
while the quintet's music worked in the same lush/dissipated general
line as Suede and labelmates Pulp, Elcka
had just enough individual character to stand out more than might be
thought. Lead singer Harrold had just the right amount of English "it's a
lahrf" twang and catch in his singing voice, and while the production
seems to want to hide his voice in the mix more than anything else, it's
still nicely glammy stuff. Steve Harley would probably be the closest comparison point, while the band's music touches on that era with some dollops of Madness and Faces'
jauntiness as well. Guitarist Marcus Sanford-Casey is competent without
being per se distinct, though still with a nice bit of flash, while
keyboardist Matt Barker adds some good extra sheen and energy here and
there as well. The latter's lines on tracks like "Fill Me" actually
often stand out as the best thing in the performance. Bassist Rhodes and
drummer Darren Berry do their work well enough, with little more to say
there. The singles from the album unsurprisingly are the strongest
efforts, with the album-only tracks continuing the mood and occasionally
improving it, like the quirky theatrics of "When the Circus Comes" or
the concluding stomp of "A User's Guide." Opening number "Supercharged"
and "Statuesque," the latter with a kicky, niggling guitar line floating
speaker to speaker, both have memorable melodies, but "Nothing to Lose"
wins out the most, with a swirling, synth/string-combined intro and a
slow, building sense of drama to a great chorus.

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